School Bus Accidents

By Leigh T. Hollins

Since I first wrote about school bus extrication in the December 1997 and January 1998 issues of Fire Engineering Magazine, not much has changed concerning school buses themselves. School buses are built to federal, state, and local standards that have stayed mostly the same, which is that school buses must be designed and built tough enough to withstand significant impact while protecting our children inside the passenger compartment. This is accomplished through a design that uses heavier-than-normal vehicle construction techniques, a high-profile chassis, seating compartmentation, and various safety features.

Seat belts on school buses continue to be an issue nationwide, with laws that vary state by state and local decisions that may or may not require their use. With that said, our approach to the rescue and extrication side of responding to a school bus incident remains mostly the same as in the 1990's. Since the 1990's, responder training and the equipment used has changed. The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) and other regional and national conferences have greatly enhanced responders' knowledge of heavy extrication. Just considering the FDIC conferences at which I have taught and the group with which I travel the U.S., we have instructed about 2,500 emergency responders in school bus rescue in the last 10 years. Couple that with the 2001 release of Fire Engineering's School Bus Extrication video (now available on DVD) and the number of responders nationwide with an enhanced knowledge of school bus rescue techniques probably climbs to between 3,500 and 4,000. That is a major difference--up to 4,000 emergency responders with a greater level of knowledge in school bus rescue and extrication.

Here are a couple of "nuggets" for you to ponder:

Are you familiar with the term "Rescue Corridor"? You will need to know about it if you are moving patients off a school bus. A rescue corridor refers to the movement of rescuers and equipment in one way and the movement of patients out another way.

Unified Command? You bet...fire, EMS, law enforcement, and school district reps must all work together to mitigate a school bus incident, even a minor one

Is your fire department prepared for this? School bus incidents require responders to be trained in heavy rescue, mass casualty incidents, and command and control. Only then will you have the knowledge to be successful when a school bus full of kids strikes something large or rolls over on its side.

How will you communicate with a school bus full of mentally disabled students? Use your resource wisely. In this case, the adult aide on the bus was the only one who understood the students. What if the aide was injured? Prepare now!

Accidents happen every day; some just have a greater "wow" factor. What if this bus, which was loaded with 55 elementary students, had rolled over on its side? Do you know what to do? Normal vehicle extrication skills and tools will not work. A hybrid school bus?? That's right, the first one in service in the nation. Are you keeping up with technology? These new hybrids have 1,300 pounds of lithium ion batteries on one side, offset by 1,300 pounds of steel counterweight on the opposite side. 1. Will this affect our operations? 2. Where is the high-voltage cable? 3. What color is the cable? 4. Where is the emergency shunt switch? Only up-to-date training will answer these questions. (Answers: 1. Yes, such factors as dealing with high voltage, stabilizing a bus that has rolled onto its roof with an extra 3,000 pounds as the new high center of gravity will alter your tactics. 2. Left side middle, under bus. 3. Orange 1" cable. 4. Left side, under bus, at front of battery bank.

You must have "real world" experience...hopefully on the drill ground first.

National Incident Management System

NIMS Training

Training is one of the important NIMS Implementation activities that Federal, State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local entities must complete as they work towards becoming fully compliant with the NIMS. State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local jurisdictions will be required to meet the FY 2007 NIMS implementation requirements as a condition of receiving federal preparedness funding assistance in FY 2008.

It is important to recognize that NIMS implementation will not end in FY 2007. The NIMS is a dynamic system, and the doctrine as well as the implementation requirements will continue to evolve as our prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities improve and our homeland security landscape changes. It is critical NIMS baseline training becomes an integral part of the organization’s training program. Organizational changes as a result of new hires, promotions or mission changes amplify this training requirement. Additionally NIMS processes will still have to be exercised in future years.

The successful implementation of the NIMS depends on the participation and integration of all Federal, State, Territorial, Local, Tribal entities and community-based organizations, including public, non-governmental, and private organizations that have a role in preventing, preparing for, responding to, or recovering from an incident. States, Territories, Tribal entities and Local jurisdictions should therefore consider and include appropriate organizations in their NIMS implementation efforts, including private sector emergency medical and hospital providers, transportation systems, utilities, and special facilities such as industrial plants, nuclear power plants, factories, military facilities, stadiums and arenas.

The NIMS Integration Center (NIC) has developed guidance that outlines the content and objectives for acceptable NIMS training materials. This guidance is contained in the National Standard Curriculum Training Development Guidance document dated March, 2007. Any agency or organization sponsoring NIMS training is responsible for ensuring that the materials being taught adhere to the guidelines provided in the National Standard Curriculum Training Development Guidance. In addition, the sponsoring organization must also verify the qualifications of the instructors based on the guidance provided by the NIC. Certificates of course completion are also the responsibility of the sponsoring agency or organization.

NIMS Courses

Currently, there are six courses that are required in order for an individual or organization to be considered NIMS compliant through FY 2007. To determine what level of training an individual needs according to their level of responsibility during a multi-jurisdiction, multi-agency, multi-discipline incident, click here: www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/TrainingGdlMatrix.pdf

SMOKE DETECTOR MAINTENANCE

State officials remind residents that smoke detectors and heating appliances require periodic maintenance, according to manufacturer's instructions.
For assistance with questions related to these appliances, residents may contact their local fire department for assistance.